Page 65 of The Study of Seduction

“I doubt that.”

“I can cause a great deal of trouble for you. All I need do is have a few words with your wife about your father and the scandal she’ll have to endure.”

“Come near my wife again,” Edwin growled, “and I will personally flay the flesh from your bones. Do you understand me?” He turned to the butler standing ready. “Please accompany the count to his carriage.”

The servant stepped forward to lay his hand on the man, but Durand shrugged it off. “No need—I’m leaving. But this isn’t over.”

As Durand clapped his hat upon his head and strode out the front door, Edwin said, “We’ll see about that.”

Clarissa backed away from the stairs, shaking. Edwin had certainly not been lying about Durand. The man was clearly not right in his head. And Edwin hadn’t exactly been his usual self, either.

Come near my wife again, and I will personally flay the flesh from your bones.

She didn’t know whether to be thrilled or terrified by Edwin’s words. She’d never guessed he could be that passionate about anything. He always seemed so calm and collected.

Well, except for that day in the library when he’d faced down Durand the first time. And at the theater, when his kisses had overwhelmed her.

She pressed her hands to her flaming cheeks. Who was Edwin? Did she even know? Was he only capable of such anger and force against the likes of Durand? Or might he unleash his temper on her, too, if she denied him her bed?

Hearing him stalk up the stairs, she hurried back into her bedchamber.

“Did you tell Edwin that you’re ready for the footman to come get the trunks?” Mama asked.

Clarissa started. “No . . . I—I remembered one more thing you and I should discuss.”

Coloring deeply, Mama gestured at the bed. “About the . . . well . . . you-know-what?”

“No, Mama, you covered that quite adequately,” she said, fighting to keep the sarcasm from her voice.

It had taken all Clarissa’s strength not to laugh bitterly at Mama’s delicate explanation of what she should expect in the marital bed.

He will touch you all over your body, and you must let him because he’s your husband. Try not to cry. Men hate that, and it quite withers them.

Clarissa would have to keep that in mind if she got desperate, though her sobs hadn’t had any effect on the Vile Seducer. Somehow she suspected that it depended on the man, as to how he would react to tears in the bedchamber.

You will grow used to what he does.At that point, her mother had blushed furiously.You will even grow to like it eventually. Though it will take a while to get past the embarrassment of it.

Well, Clarissa could certainly attest to the truth ofthat.But it was the pain she most remembered, not the embarrassment. The pain and the grunting and the rough handling of her body.

Her stomach began churning. Surely Edwin would be different. Please, God, let him be different.

“Are you nearly ready?” came his deep voice from the doorway.

She jumped, then forced a smile for her new husband’s benefit. “Yes. Quite ready. I was about to go tell you.”

“Good. I’d like to be on our way before sunset, if we can manage it.” He glanced at his pocket watch. “That gives you about an hour to—”

“Don’t worry, Edwin,” she quipped. “I know how you are about schedules. I shall attempt to be ready according to yours.”

He winced. “Take your time.”

“If I didn’t know how it pained you to say such a thing, I might believe you,” she said gaily.

Taking pity on him, she did her best to hurry. So the next half hour was a flurry of loading trunks and saying farewells. By the time they set off for Hertfordshire, it was still half an hour before dark. The two of them sat opposite each other, and now that they were alone together, she was nervous.

Especially since Edwin looked tired and distracted, undoubtedly unsettled by the count’s visit. Should she mention it? Would Edwin deny it if she did?

She was afraid to press him just now. Her marriage didn’t seem quite real. It still felt as if she and Edwin were just headed off to another social event.